Buffalo Beacon Theatre, New York City

This show is available on a rare bootleg CD called: Johnny Winter plays Beacon Theater and was actually in 1976

Saturday, 25 January 1975 - San Francisco

Opening Acts: Wishbone Ash and James Cotton

David Rensin:
Armed with a repertoire of hot licks and a legendary charismatic personality, a relaxed but careful Johnny Winter faced a record Winterland crowd and managed to satisfy both his older, more faithful fans and the newer followers attracted by the success of his younger brother Edgar.

Ever since his auspicious debut in the mid-Sixties, Winter has remained in name - if not in fact - a prince amongst mere pretenders. Yet like Eric Clapton, drugs toppled him from guitardom's Mount Olympus, and he has been forced to renegotiate the comeback trail. "His initial return tour was a major disaapointment", conceded Winter's manager Steve Paul. "Everything was sloppy and Johnny was trapped into playing everyone's favorite numbers instead of doing what he wanted to do". This time around however, Winter seemed able to follow his musical mind wherever it led, discarding once automatic renditions of older songs to dwell more on new material. Backed by Rand Jo Hobbs on bass, Floyd Radford on rhythm/lead guitar and Richard Hughes on drums, Winter opened the set with a spirited version of "Rock and roll People" penned for him by John Lennon. Wisely Winter immediately allowed Radford the freedom to play extended leads, which in turn forced the albino axeman to maintain a similar execellent level throughout song and set and provided and ecstatic crwod with more than enough guitar calisthenics to satiate their hunger.

Continuing with songs from "John Dawson Winter III" album, the band followed Rock Derringer's "Roll with me", with "Stranger" a slower orginal number that changed the performance's pace while permitting Winter and Radford to stretch out through the song's fluidity. After a blazing "Boney Moronie", the band launched into three extended blues/rock jams which dragged a bit even as they shpwcased Winter's slide work and the group members's individual talents. However they recovered with "Johnny B. Goode" a rouser that aspiered some agitated fans to urge Winter on by repeatedly echoing the refrain - "Go, go, go Johnny Go!"

Winter came back for two much demanded encores (lighted matches, thunderous applaus and the usual howling), one of which was the Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash". "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" was conspicuously absent, but there were few calls for the tune.

Backstage after the show, Winter complained that despite the crowd's favorable reactions, he wasn't totally satisfied with the evening's performance. "I'd say the show rated about seven on a scale of ten" he judged. "Yesterday when we opened the tour in Sacramento, it was a 12. Something was missing but you can bet I'll find out what and play my ass of tomorrow in Long Beach.

Maybe an opening night's adrenalin rush was the elusive quality, but if Winter thought the show was lacking I'd be interested in hearing what he considered better.

Setlist:
1. Rock And Roll People
2. Sweet Papa John
3. Roll With It
4. Boney Maronie
5. Highway 61 Revisited
6. Jumping Jack Flash

Mar 1975 - Felt Forum NEW YORK

Tuesday, 1 April 1975 - Felt Forum in New York City

Thursday, 3 April 1975 - Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto Canada

Available on the album: Live at the Maple Leaf Gardens

Band:
1. Johnny Winter - Guitar, Vocals
2. Randy Jo Hobbs - Bass, Vocals
3. Floyd Radford - Rythm Guitar
4. Richard Hughes - Drums

Setlist:
1. Introduction - Teddy Slatus
2. Rock and Roll People
3. Roll With Me
4. Stranger
5. Bonie Moronie
6. Sweet Papa John
7. Pick Up On My Mojo
8. Highway 61 Revisited
9. Roll Over Beethoven

Friday, 4 April 1975 - Kitchener (Ontario) Memorial Auditorium Canada

On Fri 4-Apr-1975 Johnny Winter played the Kitchener (Ontario) Memorial Auditorium, an arena really. The line-up was Radford, Hobbs, and Hughes. Very rock too. The support was The James Cotton Blues Band ( with Little Bo on sax and Matt Murphy ).  

Saturday, 7 June 1975: City Park New Orleans

Johnny Winter was opening for Alice Cooper ( Welcome To My Nightmare tour). The recording of this concert has also been made available on the bootleg: City Park 1975

Band:
1. Johnny Winter - Guitar, Vocals
2. Randy Jo Hobbs
3. Floyd Radford
4. Richard Hughes

Setlist:
1. Rock and roll people
2. Roll with me
3. Bony maronie
4. Sweet papa john
5. Jumpin' jack flash
6. It's all over now

Francisco notes: Sounds like a complete set, although the show clocks in 50 minutes only. Great audience recording, superb for the ' 75 standard. Extended versions of "Roll With Me" (6 minutes plus) and Sweet Papa John (15 minutes long), compared to the better known versions on "Captured Live" and "Dervish Blues" releases.

Saturday, 5 July 1975: Atlanta Pop Festival with Stevie Ray Vaughan

Friday, 11 July 1975: Palace Theater, Waterbury, Connecticut

Setlist:
1. Rock'n'roll people
2. Roll with me
3. Stranger
4. Bony moronie
5. Sweet papa john
6. Pick up on my mojo
7. Highway 61 revisited

Sept 1975: Swing Auditorium

The Edgar Winter Group w/Rick Derringer also performs. Both bands play together onstage after their own sets. Concert recorded for "Johnny Winter Captured Live!" and "Johnny and Edgar Winter/Together" albums.

Thursday, 18 September 1975: San Diego Sports Arena

San Diego (or San Bernadino, California) This concert was a stop on a three date tour for the recording of the "Johnny Winter Captured Live!" album. Two of the dates on this short tour were also for recording the "Johnny and Edgar Winter/Together" live album. The Edgar Winter Group w/Rick Derringer opened. During the set, Dan Hartman strapped on a Fender Stratocaster guitar and played a song in tribute to Jimi Hendrix - Sept. 18th being the anniversary of Hendrix's death. Johnny's band played next. After his set the lights went up and about three quarters of the audience left before an announcement came over the PA that a special event was about to take place - a recording session for the "Johnny and Edgar Winter/Together" album! My friends and I had stayed because we noticed that the roadies were ADDING equipment to the stage, not removing it. All members of Johnny's and Edgar's bands then came onstage. The show ended at about 2:15am. And as you can hear on those two albums, this event was truly one of the greatest concerts of the 70's.

The San Bernardino show has been broadcasted on the Broadcast Week Retro Rock in 1982

Saturday, 20 September 1975 - Oakland Stadium

The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer. Johnny Winter, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels, Earth Quake, Winter Brothers Jam. Concert recorded for "Johnny Winter Captured Live!" album. The Edgar Winter Group w/Rick Derringer also performs. Both bands play together onstage after their own sets.

Either the San Diego Sports Arena or Oakland Stadium concert has resulted into the bootleg "Dervish Blues"